gerry rafferty interview

His remains were then cremated at the Woodside Crematorium in Paisley[72] and his ashes scattered on Iona. I saw a man in despair". "[34] It was ironic that Raffertya lover and collector of religious icons, who would later name one of his publishing companies "Icon Music"[54]was also an iconoclast. Rafferty himself said as much, during an interview taken not long before his death in 2009: "There have been periods in my life where I have experienced depression. It disappeared., But when we spoke on the phone later, hed changed his mind. According to Murphy, interviewed by Billboard in 1993, he and Rafferty had to beg the record label, United Artists, to release "Baker Street" as a single: "They actually said it was too good for the public. [59], Rafferty enjoyed alcohol from a young age,[20][37][42][60] and early songs, such as "One Drink Down", "Baker Street", and "Night Owl", freely mention the subject. And as long as it was supported by radio play, who could say that it wasnt a genuine hit? He was Editor in Chief of Classic Rock magazine for 10 years and Editor of Total Guitar for 4 years and has contributed to The Big Issue, Esquire and more. Trending [citation needed], "Baker Street" remains a mainstay of soft-rock radio airplay[24] and, in October 2010, it was recognised by the BMI for surpassing 5 million plays worldwide. He was in self-destruct mode. "[5], In 1995, Rafferty was deeply affected by the death of his older brother Joseph, an event from which family and friends said he never fully recovered. He had been signed to A&M. Inside the recording of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath: only in the new issue of Classic Rock. But Gerry Rafferty is wearing a button warning, Dangerous Times Ahead, and hes known bad times in the past as well. [7][34], Another World marked a new departure for the singer. He just blew what he was told by the person who did write it, Gerry Rafferty."[22]. In fact, most of what I played was an old blues riff. And I don't plan to be in the public eye too much now either. [citation needed], Rafferty drew a clear distinction between the artistic integrity of a musician, on the one hand, and the music industry's need to create celebrities and sell products, on the other. Gerry wanted respect. Speaking to The Independent newspaper later, the hotel's director commented: "It was such a shame. Becoming a member is easy. I thought, well, if a little bit of that rubs off on us, perhaps we'll get in the charts as well, but actually, in practice, it was kind of a claustrophobic experience. As he explained in a press release heralding the new record in November 2000: "My heart and soul have gone into this album, and by releasing it in this way my creative influence has not been diluted in any way. Gerry Rafferty in Amsterdam, 1972. The problems we had, had little to do, actually, with the results we got on the board, because they were great in terms of sound and all that. Joseph Rafferty died when Gerry was just sixteen, but if he bequeathed anything to his last-born son it was an affinity for songs in the Irish and Scottish folk tradition. Listeners weigh in on our interview with 10-year-old Kathryn Aurora Gray, the youngest person ever to discover a Supernova; and our remembrance of singer and songwriter Gerry Rafferty, who died . I wrote to Martin Wyatt at Anchor records and they said, We really want this, this record is fantastic, its a hit record. In 2010, Baker Street was honored by BMI for achieving 5 million radio plays worldwide. Isnt he afraid that once again hell be a one-hit wonder? 16 April 2022 When Baker Street songwriter Gerry Rafferty died of liver failure, on 4 January 2011, at the age of 63, the whole of Scotland mourned the passing of one of the nation's greatest musicians. Gerry Raffertys promising partnership with Joe Egan as Stealers Wheel had ended after three albums and a US no.1 single in Stuck In The Middle With You. Gerry had had a tough upbringing in Glasgow and the manager sensed that he carried "tremendous resentment" about it. He may be sitting on top of the world as he gives interviews in his. "[7] Monsignor John Tormey, celebrating Rafferty's funeral mass, suggested the singer's attitude to fame was an indication of his spiritual integrity: "He always searched for a more authentic way to live his life, shunning the outward trappings of celebrity so that he might live as he chose to live his life."[52]. The musicians present included Craig and Charlie Reid of The Proclaimers, former bandmates Joe Egan and Rab Noakes, Barbara Dickson, and Graham Lyle. There is a mid-Atlantic blandness lurking behind the rococo roots veneer. "[7] On weekends he and a classmate, future Stealers Wheel collaborator Joe Egan, played in a local group named the Maverix, mainly covering chart songs by groups such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. From a Richard Thompson interview this spring, discussing the shelved Rafferty-produced 1980 sessions prior to the. August 1975. Brewer was a big fan of Stealers Wheel and met Rafferty in London. Succession Recap: Logan Roy Makes Shock Return, Shiv and Tom Get Kinky. Rock's Backpages is the world's most comprehensive online database of pop music writing, a unique resource unavailable elsewhere online. If you are interested in the syndication of this Rock's Backpages article, please email us. He wanted his songs to be respected. Accept | Cookies policy | Privacy policy, Click here to sign in via the UK federation WAYF. The lyric and the melody fuse beautifully and the lyric is complemented by the melody. To Raffertys utter disbelief, his parody of Bob Dylans paranoia, tossed off as little more than a joke, struck pay dirt in the States by which time he had already said goodbye to the band. Jon Brewer now a successful documentary maker (opens in new tab) managed Rafferty through his most successful period before their relationship ended in acrimony. The next album was all organised but Gerry wanted to get rid of me.". In his interview with Colin Irwin, Rafferty disputed this and said that Ravenscroft had been his second choice to play the saxophone solo, after Pete Zorn, who was unavailable: "The only confusion at the time that I didnt enjoy too much was the fact that a lot of people believed that the line was written by Raphael Ravenscroft, the sax player, but it was my line. He never let "Baker Street" be used for advertising, despite lucrative offers. Perhaps I was on the edge of a nervous break-down thats how it felt, anyway. I probably did more music with him than any other musician. He was also friends with Ravenscroft and toured with him. I said, Youre just not the right person to do David Frost. More likely, he has simply mellowed with age. "[53] Barbara Dickson also paid tribute to her friend, whom she described as a "luminous, glorious Scottish musician". 2023 Rolling Stone, LLC. The guitarist Hugh Burns has scored movies like Die Another Day and The Hobbit, and played with the likes of Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson, Jack Bruce, and George Michael throughout his storied career. [citation needed], Other artists continue to be inspired by Rafferty's work. . But Gerry Rafferty is wearing a button warning, 'Dangerous Times Ahead,' and he's known bad times in the past as well. You can view our full Privacy and Cookies Policy. [citation needed], During November 2009, Rafferty released what would be his final album, Life Goes On. You never know a new generation of young musicians coming up [might bring back the sax]. Its important to say that in the case of that particular instrumental opening to Baker Street, it was entirely Gerrys line, said Burns. Thats why I especially liked the Everly Brothers.. Sign up below to get the latest from Classic Rock, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox! "[63][64], There were conflicting reports about what happened next. TV documentary produced by Neon Productions (Glasgow) for BBC Scotland, co-produced by Valerie Lyon and Robert Noakes, 2011. The man behind the saxophone was Raphael Ravenscroft, who in addition to having the best-ever name for a session saxophonist, claims to have authored the riff. Harvey left shortly afterwards, and Rafferty and Connolly continued as a duo, recording two more albums for Transatlantic Records. Chaos! I said, If you give him 5 million, youll never get another album Its the worst thing you can do. 1 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts in the US. BA1 1UA. Hugh Burns hadnt heard Half a Heart, but he was dismissive of the idea that it had been lifted from something else, at least intentionally. Baker Street and Half a Heart are songs that were made that way. And the interesting thing is that that sax solo, the line itself, was also given by the singer [George Michael]. "They came back with a bigger offer," says Brewer, "and I said, I'll tell you what we'll do. It was a big deal for Steve to make a record on his own, he said. Stealers Wheel was a flop. They never toured America because the band, according to Rafferty, when it existed at all, was a fucking shambles, and they wrangled angrily with their managers. His background was soaked in Scottish socialism and poverty, his mind sharp and his personality acerbic, and he wasn't going to be dazzled by the glamour of success. [38] In July that year, he flew to London, where he stayed in the five-star Westbury Hotel in Mayfair and began a four-day drinking binge during which he extensively damaged his room. The Humblebums were a flop My life doesn't stand or fall by the amount of people who buy my records. I just had to get away, away from groups, managers, record companies, the whole thing. But theres something special about four or five guys in a studio and working with an artist and honing whatever it is that the song is and fine-tuning it. [65] This was contradicted by a report in The Daily Telegraph on the following day, which quoted a statement his solicitors made to Channel 4 News: "Contrary to reports, Gerry is extremely well and has been living in Tuscany for the last six months he continues to compose and record new songs and music and he hopes to release a new album of his most recent work in the summer of this year [2009]. After the completion of Another World in 2000, Rafferty planned to move back to Scotland and bought Eaglestone House,[57] "a substantial listed 1860s mansion" in the Highland village of Strathpeffer,[58] although he sold the property two years later and never actually moved in. "[66][67] The album, titled Life Goes On, was released in November 2009. 17 in the US. After the duo separated in 1971, Transatlantic owner Nathan Joseph signed Rafferty as a solo performer. The "80,000" figure has been widely repeated in newspaper articles ever since. Gerry Rafferty is one of the more elusive and enigmatic figures on this increasingly strange roundabout. "[35], Based at 16th-century[36] Tye Farm in Hartfield, near the Kent-Sussex border, Rafferty installed electric gates to protect his privacy, built a recording studio, and worked largely by himself[37] or with Murphy. And yet when it comes to writing tasteful pop songs songs that you remember long after they've dropped out of the Top Twenty or whatever he's just about the best and consequently the most underrated in Britain. By using this site, you agree that we may store and access cookies on your device. Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. "[11] It was a good call: the single reached #3 in the UK and #2 in the US. Its fellow honorees that yearCome Together, Candle in the Wind, and Build Me Up Buttercupdeliver some sense of the songs real reach. Not that it was all doom and gloom: He had this great friendship with Billy Connolly [the two men were in folk duo The Humblebums] and Billy told me this amazing story. [5], In his next album, Sleepwalking (1982), Rafferty took a very different approach to his work. Shortly after news of the singer's death, Lily Allen tweeted the message "Rest in Peace Gerry x" with a video link to the song "Right Down the Line", reputedly one of her favourite music tracks. Gerry Rafferty signed up with Brewer and his production company funded the making of new album, City To City. Before, I was never in control. The eulogy was given by Rafferty's longtime friend John Byrne. Gerry Rafferty. It was a pretty scary kind of feeling. To search for precise terms or phrases, it is advisable to place quote marks at either end of the phrase. They married in 1970 and lived in Scotland with their daughter, Martha Mary, before moving to the south of England in the late 1970s,[20] where they divided their time between their farm near the KentSussex border and a home in Hampstead, London. Once Rafferty decided to look in the Berlin telephone directory to see if any Hitlers were listed.[10]. Gordon Laurie, director of the housing association behind the project, commented: "It is a fitting tribute to a brilliant musician who lives on through his music. ), The video for Baker Street has been viewed over 5 million times. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. "[78], In January 2013, BBC Radio 2 re-broadcast their 2012 programme "Bring It All Home Gerry Rafferty Remembered", which had been recorded live at Celtic Connections in Glasgow and was presented by Ricky Ross. We use cookies to help provide you with the best possible online experience. "[20], "Baker Street" featured a distinctive saxophone riff played by Raphael Ravenscroft, although the origins of the solo have been disputed. ), Forum Policies, Rules, and Terms of Service. [70][71], A requiem mass was held for Rafferty at St Mirin's Cathedral in his native town of Paisley on 21 January 2011. affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network, and It is Rock's Backpages policy never, under any circumstances, to sell on or otherwise provide any of the information contained in the above form to third parties. The Internet is a conspiracy-theory clearing house, and yet the connection between Baker Street and the opening riff of Half a Heart lives in semi-ubiquity. And Gerry would barge into their umbrella, shout Oh my god!, and as he hit the ground hed take his glass eye out and let it roll on the pavement. Billy Connolly recalls his first impressions of Gerry Rafferty. Thats the price I paid for being Gerry Raffertys manager.. In 2012, Cuillin Recordings issued Paisley Spin, a remix of three tracks from Can I Have My Money Back? All rights reserved. For decades in England, for instance, there was a widely believed urban myth that Bob Holness, the buttoned-up British gameshow host, had actually performed the saxophone solo in Baker Street.. I just now went to the Internet and, sure enough, found out the history of Rafferty and Baker Street, and viewed a YouTube performance of it. Night Owl Gerry Rafferty Buy album Year of Release: 1979 Appears in: 30 charts Rank Score: 122 Rank in 1979: 145 Rank in 1970s: 1,467 Overall Rank: 9,694 He turned that down too. He really cant stand anyone in the music industry, anyone in the music publishing industry, and all he wants to do is write songs for his daughter., So I go back to Gerry," says Brewer, "and say, Youve got to stop doing this were going to run out of record companies!. [3] It was the third release from Rafferty's City to City LP as the follow-up to his first major hit as a solo artist, "Baker Street". Boys, girls, large packets of drugs that was payola.. The jazz-rock fusion album was almost exclusively of cover songs such as The Beatles title track. [1] He is survived by his daughter Martha, granddaughter Celia, and brother Jim. Im going to steal something from you., Now, Id always said to my staff, You must never involve yourself in a relationship with any of my artists or else Ill be forced to fire you. [4], Rafferty grew up in a council house in the town's Ferguslie Park, in Underwood Lane, and was educated at St Mirin's Academy. Gerry Rafferty Biography by Timothy Monger As one-half of the Humblebums, Scottish singer/songwriter Gerry Rafferty came up through the U.K. folk-rock scene of the late 1960s and early '70s before finding mainstream international success with his 1978 solo album, City to City. According to Burns, a lot of the songs that seem to have some longevity tend to feature, for the most part, real instruments. For a while, the saxophone was a key feature of that dynamic. It was the days of payola and the days of sheds being filled with records and all sorts of things, says Brewer. Its important to understand that. And yet when it comes to writing tasteful pop songs - songs that you remember long after they've dropped out of the Top Twenty or whatever - he's just about the best and consequently the most underrated in Britain. Its almost identical, only a little bit different and that wouldnt happen by chance seeing as it was so close.. [43][44] Through his company Icon Music, Rafferty promoted and sold the album independently on a website created specifically for the purpose. [5][6] Heavily influenced by folk music and the music of the Beatles and Bob Dylan, Rafferty started to write his own material. Theres enough evidence to be suspicious and more than enough time to enjoy them both. But few people know the origin story of rocks most iconic sax riff, which is complicated, to say the least. From what shes said, I believe Linda was quite happy to have Gerrys hands on her, for a time. [Rafferty's] approach seemed claustrophobic. I did six albums with him. Christopher Neil replaced Hugh Murphy, Rafferty's usual producer, introducing synthesisers and drum machines that give the album a harder, less acoustic sound, and apparently eschewing the richly detailed arrangements notable on Rafferty's three previous records. For his self-titled album, see, Undated "Prank call" video of Billy Connolly on YouTube, uploaded 25 November 2007, Connolly remembers Rafferty as a prank call "expert he used to make me scream. We were looking for. We tried electric guitar but it sounded weak, and we tried other things and I think it was Hugh Murphy's suggestion that we tried saxophone."[5]. According to his account, Baker Street had several gaps in it when he was hired to play, and he filled them. [73], Newspapers printed lengthy obituaries for the singer; in The Guardian, Michael Gray charted Rafferty's long downward spiral into alcoholism,[38] while a full-page obituary in The Times summarised his career more positively: "As well as being a singer of considerable talent who at one time had the pop world at his feet, Gerry Rafferty was also a consummate songwriter, blessed with sensitivity and an enviable melodic flair that at its best recalled Paul McCartney. They based chart positions on what theyd shipped, not what theyd sold. Signing up for the RBP newsletter provides access to a limited number of free articles, as well as six new free articles every week. 4: Whatever's Written In Your Heart (from 'City To City', 1978) If there's one song that proves Gerry Rafferty's peerless songwriting ability, it's Whatever's Written In Your Heart. He recalled, "My father was Irish, so growing up in Paisley I was hearing all these songs when I was two or three. "Thats how they regulated the charts. From a Richard Thompson interview this spring, discussing the shelved Rafferty-produced 1980 sessions prior to the Shoot Out the Lights album. [citation needed], Also in 1983, Rafferty announced his intention to take a break and devote more time to his family: "It dawned on me that since Baker Street I had been touring the world, travelling everywhere and seeing nowhere. CIA Director, Noam Chomsky Named in Epstein's Private Calendar: Report Gerry Rafferty, a Scottish singer and songwriter who combined a gift for melody, a distinctive voice and a fatalistic worldview to produce 1970s hits like "Stuck in the Middle With You" and. Later I get a call from Martin Wyatt: I wouldnt sign that man if you gave me the record and I know its a number 1 album! I said, Why? He says, Hes the most unbelievably obnoxious person Ive ever met in my life., "What did he say to you? He said that he was never going to support the album, he was never going to play in a band, and he was never going to go on the road. And for good reason. Back in England, says Brewer, he and Gerry Rafferty were becoming more and more estranged. Billboard Hot 100 [2] and #8 on Cash Box. "[23][24], Ravenscroft, a session musician, was in the studio to record a brief soprano saxophone part and suggested that he record the now famous break using the alto saxophone he had in his car. Singer, who would pass away in 2011, is sitting on top of the world as he gives this interview in New York City's Plaza Hotel, Gerry Raffertys Baker Street Blues: Rolling Stones 1978 Feature, You Are Grimes Now: Inside Music's Weird AI Future, Pharrells Something in the Water Fest Cancels Final Day Due to Severe Weather, Stagecoach: Kane Brown Breaks Mental Health Stigma With 'Memory,' Talks Depression, Kiss Paul Stanley Has 'Thoughts' About Parents Who Support Kids Gender Identities, Kanye West Fallout Sparks Class Action Lawsuit Against Adidas, Roy Wood Jr. Hows that for capitalism?. But 80,000? So I took the 75., It worked. Billy Connolly on Gerry Rafferty (Conan O'Brien, 2012) russallert 5.31K subscribers 597K views 5 years ago Billy Connolly appears on the Conan O'Brien show in 2012 and tells a story about his. But they were old-school producers. Gerry Rafferty signed up with Brewer and his production company funded the making of new album, City To City. He then worked in a butcher's shop, as a civil service clerk, and in a shoe shop. He praises Carla for helping him through all the bad times and tells her every day he loves her more and more. So I picked up and moved [from London] back to Scotland to sort myself out., Eventually Rafferty was prevailed upon to rejoin Stealers Wheel, and he resumed writing songs that conveyed pretty scary kinds of feelings and condemned managers, record companies, the whole thing. (When I asked what he felt was the persistent theme of his music, Rafferty replied tersely and without hesitation, Alienation.) Though he and Egan sugarcoated their bitter pills with sweet melodies and glossy pop arrangements, they were unable to repeat the success of Stuck in the Middle., Editors picks When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, [3] Rafferty learned both Irish and Scottish folk songs as a boy. By the late 70s, Brewer had had a hand in the early career of David Bowie, Alvin Lee and others and had a publishing company called Belfern Music. Breaks Down His Killer White House Correspondents Dinner Set She encounters an unmerry troupe of subway-dwelling people whose professions are no longer a thing. Falling into that category are a travel agent, an American auto worker, the CEO of Friendster and, for the biggest punchline, a guy who played dynamite saxophone solos in rock-and-roll songs.. Though it would seem to have struck America like a bolt from the blue, City to City does not depart dramatically from the music Rafferty has recorded over the past decade. Rafferty has been a one-hit wonder before, five years ago, when Stealers Wheel topped the charts with Stuck in the Middle with You. Stealers Wheel was led by Rafferty and Joe Egan, friends since both were sixteen-year-olds playing in bands in their hometown of Paisley, a bleak industrial city near Glasgow. Burns isnt ruling out its return. "Stuck in the Middle With You" has received over 4million plays worldwide, and "Right Down The Line" has had over 3million plays. According to Rafferty's daughter Martha, it was around this time that her father discovered, by chance, Colin Wilson's classic book The Outsider, about alienation and creativity, which became a huge influence both on his songwriting and his outlook on the world: "The ideas and references contained in that one book were to sustain and inspire him for the rest of his life. That wasnt a very good career move. In conversations with both Burns and Burton, a controversy and lawsuit involving George Harrison came up. Its most popular comment is this: This song makes me think of the Summer of 1978. He is currently working on the official documentary on the life of Chuck Berry. ZigZag, Joel Whitburn, "The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (6th Edition)", p. 493. His mother taught him both Irish and Scottish folk songs when he was a boy; later, he was influenced by the music of the Beatles and Bob Dylan. 5 hit in 1979. In some of his new songs there still can be heard what Rafferty, whose father was born in Ireland, describes as a sort of Celtic thing in the harmonies and chord progressions. People werent quite used to that., Of course, theres also something about the saxophone. Remembering Gerry Rafferty, rock's most reluctant star. Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns/Getty. I was going through a very strange period in my life right then, he explains with a burr that is thick yet as gentle as his large gray eyes. Just graduated high school and was getting ready to head off to college. Fewer reservations and a bit more ebullience might be expected from a man with Americas Number Two single, Baker Street, and album, City to City (both have been Number One on some charts). What I want is just to develop in terms of my songs and also to work in other areas. Then he tried it on guitar, and that didnt sound quite right. [30], The lyrics of "Baker Street" reflected Rafferty's disenchantment with certain elements of the music industry. [60] According to Rafferty's ex-wife Carla: "There was no hope. [31], "His song "Baker Street" was about how uncomfortable he felt in the star system, and what do you know, it was a giant world hit. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. We didnt share a sense of humor or much of anything., Before long, Rafferty and Egan decided it was time to stop the whole fucking farce, which they did after completing a lackluster third album, Right or Wrong, with another producer. Rafferty and Joe Egan formed the group Stealers Wheel in 1972 and produced several hits, most notably "Stuck in the Middle with You" and "Star". A subscription gives you access to all the articles and audio interviews in the library. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Bonnie Raitt recorded a reggae treatment of "Right Down the Line" for her Slipstream album released 10 April 2012. Its a topic thats since been remaindered to the small music forums at the dusty edges of the Internet. Thompson's usually spontaneous, no-frills attitude toward recording was at odds with Rafferty's approach. Him and Billy used to play a game. To be a star in inverted commas -that is probably the last thing I want. His wife had just given birth to their daughter and he told me that he didnt have any money to buy nappies, says Brewer. [citation needed], In 1969, Rafferty became the third member of a folk-pop group, the Humblebums, along with comedian Billy Connolly and Tam Harvey. And a whole suite of Irish traditional songs and Scots traditional songs". Gerry became someone else, and it was alcohol that took him over. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. He did it really well and he was respected in both camps. He was an artist through and though., Seemingly alone in its era, Baker Street managed to stand out at the height of punk and new wave and also shined through the summer of Grease and the twilight of discos last saccharine gleaming.

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